Memories of the Past
by Foreverafangirl101
Summary: Jayfeather is shocked to see his Stick, here. Alive. As a real cat! But she brings with her a devastating prophecy... One-shot, R&R Please :)


_A/N Hey, again! So, this is a quick one-shot I decided to write, my first Warrior fic! I am going to_ hopefully _be writing more stories soon. So enjoy_

 _:)_

Jayfeather walked confidently along the lake shore, sniffing for herbs as he did. The rest of his patrol (Leafpool's precaution) walked a little way behind, talking animatedly.

Jayfeather kept walking, his mind wandering to the Great Battle, Firestar's death, the aftermath...before stopping abruptly when he felt water on his paws.

"The lake has risen again!" Foxleap exclaimed, darting over to Jayfeather's side.

Rosepetal, Blossomfall, and Thornclaw looked on. "Do you think it will flood like last time?" Blossomfall mewed, she was talking about the Great Flood shortly after the Great Battle.

"Jayfeather?" Rosepetal asked, concerned when she saw the grey tabby medicine cat seemed frozen.

"Jayfeather are you okay?"

Jayfeather was thrown into memories. He saw the tunnels, where five apprentices, Two WindClan cats heand his two siblings, and three kits stood, staring at the rushing dark river inside of the tunnels, in alarm.

He saw the bank on the horizon, and then a younger him, rubbing his paws over a thin, strait stick.

Then, he saw himself, mad that he couldn't communicate with Rock and the other Ancients. Shattering the stick with markings into thousands of pieces.

He saw Dovewing and Ivypool as apprentices, throwing the stick into the lake, Ivypaw holding her paw up, where it had stabbed her.

...

"Jayfeather!" Blossomfall's sharp mew hit Jayfeather like a bucket of cold water.

He shook out his fur and turned around, feeling their concern like prickles in his pelt.

"What's wrong? The water hasn't risen that much." Thornclaw soothed.

They thought he was afraid of the water! Well, they weren't wrong, but he hadn't frozen because of that.

"I'm fine.' He snapped, brushing past them angrily and heading back up the bank.

Blossomfall, Rosepetal, Thornclaw, and Foxleap shared a look, then trotted after the blind cat.

Suddenly Thornclaw stopped. "Rouge scent." He spat, sniffing the air.

Foxleap turned to him, eyes wide. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure! I can smell a dirty cat a mile away, come on, it's heading for the camp!"

...

Jayfeather was almost to the hollow, when he was plunged into _**another**_ vision!

He saw a cat, no, he was seeing through a cat's eyes. It was trotting around, feeling confused and lost. Finnaly, it spotted a hunting patrol, consisting of Squirrelflight, Lionblaze, Toadstep and Lilypaw. Each cat carried prey.

"Hey!" The cat called out, making the others freeze.

"Who are you?" Lionblaze demanded, his ginger fur fluffing out.

The cat seems horrified, backing away nervously.

"No, no, you don't understand...! I come in peace! Please, I need to see your leader."

Squirrelflight put down her two mice and said: "Come then."

The cat perked up, and trotted cautiously into the open. Squirrelflight stepped forward, and made her way back towards the hollow. Lionblaze shot the cat a hostile look, as it slowly padded after Squirrelflight.

...

"Jayfeather!" Rosepetal interrupted.

"What's with him today?" Blossomfall muttered to Thornclaw, who shrugged.

"What?" Jayfeather asked, his past regrets for snapping at them by the lake vanishing, with the vision.

"There's rouges going to the camp!"

"I know!" Jayfeather sprang into a run,

"How?" Rosepetal's voice called, but Jayfeather ignored her.

They quickly entered the hollow, and found the rest of the clan gathered around Highledge,

Bramblestar stepped out of his den, followed by Squirrelflight, Jayfeather sniffed the air, and realised that the cat, a she-cat at that, was standing at the foot of the rockfall, with Toadstep, and Lionblaze guarding her, as if she might spring suddenly and kill them all.

"What is your name?" Bramblestar asked, silencing all the cats with a flick of his tail.

The she-cat blinked, "I...I'm not sure." She admitted after a while.

"You're not sure?" Bramblestar repeated, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"n..no..I...Rock told me about the clans...ThunderClan in particular...I was supposed to come find him here," She looked around. "But he doesn't seem to be here."

"Rock?" Jayfeather burst from the crowd, his blind eyes flashing.

The she-cat shrank back. "Y-yes? He...He and Fallen Leaves said I..I would find Jayfeather...Is _he_ here?" She looked around hopefully.

Squirrelflight stepped forward to sand next to Jayfeather. "This is him, but who are Rock and Fallen Leaves?"

"Oh...they're the cats in the tunnels of course." The cat answered before Jayfeather could stop her.

"In the tunnels!" Ivypool's shocked mew sounded from the crowd, the cats mewed anxiously to one another, clearly not trusting the stranger.

But Jayfeather stepped closer until he was a nose distance away from the she-cat, who had shrank back so far, that she was sitting.

"Who are you? Try to remember."

"I...I...Rock called me something...Tree...Branch? I dunno."

"Stick?" Jayfeather asked, kinda sarcastically, but to his surprise, The she-cat brightened up.

"Yes, that's what he called me! Stick!"  
"Jayfeather?" Bramblestar interrupted, coming to stand by his nephew. "What is going on?"

"It doesn't matter." Leafpool interrupted, hurrying over to stand in between Stick and Bramblestar

"This cat is soaked, and you look like you haven't had fresh-kill in moons! Come on, Jayfeather, you can worry about who she is later, Stick, right? You come with me."

As Leafpool led Stick away from the curious, and suspicious eyes, Bramblestar turned to Jayfeather.

"I guess you're needed there, but I need an explanation. Soon." Jayfeather nodded, without saying anything and trotted to his den.

"Here, lick your pelt dry, have you been swimming?" Leafpool's fussing voice came from inside,

"Careful Briarlight, you almost tripped me, okay Stick, eat this...Jayfeather!" Leafpool stopped in her tracks as the grey tom appeared.

"Can you go get Stick some fresh-kill," Jayfeather suggested, "I'll take over from here."

Leafpool's eyes glittered with curiosity, but she gathered that Jayfeather wanted to talk to the cat alone, and so she nodded and ducked out of the den.

Jayfeather turned to Stick. "What does Rock have to say that he can't tell me himself."

Stick looked at him gravely _(of course, Jayfeather doesn't know that, but for the readers sake...)_

"He told me to find you." She began. "A darkness is coming. You will not be safe for long. The Great battle was not the end. It is barely the beginning. Your clans will face hardships no one will expect. And you will need to be strong to survive it."

"What?" Jayfeather asked, his blind eyes wide.

"I know nothing else." Stick said truthfully.

Jayfeather was spun into light, and he blinked realising he could see.

Stick, a brown she cat with white stripes going horizontally down her back. Her brown eyes bored into Jayfeather's.

"Here! Have some fresh-kill, I hope you like rabbit!" Leafpool broke the moment, and Jayfeather was staring at the dark once more.

"Thanks, I'm starving!" Stick brushed past Jayfeather, leaving his pelt burning with electricity, then, she settled down to start eating.

...

Jayfeather stepped out of his den, the dawn patrol thundering out of the hollow.

He shook out his fur, and licked his lips. Heading back inside to take a quick drink out of the pool of water in his den.

Stick was curled up in a ball, snoring softly, Jayfeather smiled absently, as she rolled over and mumbled in her sleep, while he worked, pulling his herb supplies and counting them.

Briarlight stretched suddenly, giving a large yawn.

Stick jumped, her fur sticking out, her eyes wide with fear and surprise.

She looked around, and realising that she was okay, and safe, settled down.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah" Nervousness pulsed of the brown she cat. "Just..just a dream..."

Jayfeather stepped cautiously into her thoughts, and was spun into a large battlefield.

Cats yowled in agony, and the heavy stench of blood, death, and rot hung in the air. Jayfeather gasped in horror as he saw his own clanmates lying dead around him.

 _What did this?_ Jayfeather wondered, closing his eyes to try and get rid of the horrible scene before him.

"Jayfeather!" Millie's voice called out to him.

Jayfeather opened his eyes into darkness, and realised that Stick had now left the medicine cat den, he turned around to where Millie stood and said, "Is everything alright?"

"Greystripe is complaining about stiff muscles, can I get some daisy?'

Jayfeather nodded curtly, and hurried to grab one of the leaves. He was anxious to find out more about Stick's confusing dreams.

Thrusting the leaves to Millie, he brushed past her and raced out of the den,

"Hey!" Millie's shocked mew called, but he ignored her, this was no time for manners!

"Jayfeather!" Bramblestar's sharp mew made the skinny medicine cat slow reluctantly to a stop.

The great tabby cat was stalking across the camp to where Jayfeather stood, tapping his paws.

"Jayfeather, you promised me an explanation. I think I deserve one before you go galloping off again."

Hanging his head, Jayfeather followed Bramblestar to his den where Squirrelflight, the deputy, and Leafpool sat waiting. Lionblaze and Dovewing entered the den behind him.

The air prickled with tension and expectation, and Jayfeather took a breath, all the secrets, about Rock, Fallen Leaves, the Ancients, his Stick. It was about to come out.

Right

Now.

...

Stick scrambled out of the elders den, moss still clinging to her pelt. She saw Rosepetal coming towards her, and she trotted over, calling "Hi!"

Rosepetal stopped in her tracks, muttered a: "Hey."

And raced for the tunnel.

Stick stood feeling dejected. Then she saw Briarlight pulling herself towards her, Stick shrank away, expecting to be blown off again, but Briarlight said

"Hi!" Cheerfully, and then, "Wanna eat by me?"

Gratefully, Stick trotted to the fresh-kill pile and chose two mice, she laid them by Briarlight, and the two she-cats started eating.

"Is Rosepetal always like that?" Stick eventually asked,

Briarlight took another bite and chewed thoughtfully. Swallowing she said slowly. "No...but the clans are rather weary of rouges."

"Rouges?"

"Cats who live alone," Briarlight explained.

"Oh I don't live alone, I have Rock and Fallen Leaves for company." Stick said.

She noticed Briarlight giving her a strange look, but before she could ask what was wrong, she saw Bramblestar leave his nest, followed by Squirrelflight, Leafpool and Jayfeather, and lastly Lionblaze, and a fluffy grey she-cat Stick recognized as Dovewing.

The clan seemed to expect answers because before Bramblestar could call a clan meeting together, Brightheart was crawling out of the nursery, followed by Amberkit, Dewkit, and Snowkit. Lilypaw sat down next to them looked curiously at Bramblestar.

"Well?" Thornclaw snapped as the clan gathered. "Are we inviting more kittypets and rouges into our clan?"

Stormcloud looked down at his paws. And Daisy and Millie flicked their tails irritably.

Bramblestar frowned at Thornclaw, but then relaxed. "I understand your concerns Thornclaw." He soothed. "But it is not my place to decide if Stick wants to stay or not. That is up to her."

Stick felt all eyes turn to her, she gulped and stood up. "I have come to deliver a message, and when I have completed my mission, I shall leave. Until then," She stopped to look at Bramblestar. "Is it okay if I stay?"

"Does anyone object?" Lionblaze asked.

The Clan remained silent and Bramblestar nodded. "Good, now Squirrelflight, will take care of the patrols."

Jayfeather returned to the medicine den, with Leafpool, and Stick watched them.

"I'll be back in a moment!" She promised, rushing away before Briarlight could respond.

...

Stick hesitated inside the door, and then climbed into the den.

"Jayfeather?" Stick whispered. No one answered. She tilted her head, and pricked her ears.

Standing at the back of the den, her backs to Stick, sat Leafpool. At first Stick couldn't find Jayfeather until she saw his grey head stick out of the hidden crevice, where the herbs were stored.

"Why didn't you tell me about it sooner?" Leafpool pressed.

"Why should I have?" Jayfeather snapped, pushing some catmint out of the store and disappearing back inside.

Leafpool's tail lashed but she remained calm. "I am your mother and your mentor, you shouldn't keep secrets."

"Like how you kept Cinderheart's past a secret? My parentage?" Jayfeather paused, his voice dangerously calm

"That was different!" Leafpool replied flustered, Jayfeather grunted and returned to the herbs.

"Don't turn your back on me Jayfeather!" Leafpool hissed, "What are we going to do now?"

"About what?" Jayfeather asked after a while.

"Stick! And Rock and Leaf or whatever!"

"There's nothing to do about them!" Irritation flashed in Jayfeather's blue eyes.

"Everything was fine before she came along, and now the whole clan knows."

"And you wish she hadn't?" Leafpool asked quietly.

"Yes! No one had to know, and that stupid she-cat's just about ruined it all!"

Stick backed away horrified, then turned and raced away, almost tripping over Amberkit who yowled in surprise and ran back to Brightheart who gave Stick a furious hiss.

Stick stumbled away from the angry queen and galloped towards the tunnel, she got free of the prying eyes, and didn't stop until she was by the lake.

A sudden urge took over her to swim, and Stick padded in cautiously. The water swirled around her and she gave a bound into deeper water. Fish darted around her legs, and she stuck her head under the water, feeling her troubles fade away.

"Hey! What are you doing?" A voice called. Cinderheart. Stick looked up embarrassed.

"Uh...swimming?" Cinderheart purred and stepped into the water, wading over until she was standing next to Stick,

"You like swimming?" She asked.

Stick nodded, "I feel at home here."

Cinderheart smiled, "I hurt my leg, when I was an apprentice, but Jayfeather taught me to swim, the water supported me and at made my leg stronger. I still like to come down here once in a while, to get away from Lionblaze and all his fussing," She smiled as she mentioned her mate

"Plus I feel really roly-poly with kits, at least in the water I can move more fluidly!"

Stick purred agreement, but her eyes were on the shore. A cat was coming. Was that? Oh no!

Stick ducked her head under the water, holding her breath as she hoped Jayfeather would leave. But she had to come up for air sooner or later, and when she did, Jayfeather was sitting on the bank with Cinderheart. Waiting.

Stick looked around, desperately, but decided that swimming to Shadowclan would be to risky, so she started back to where the two Thunderclan cats waited.

Stick climbed out of the lake, shaking out her fur, ignoring Jayfeather's hiss of annoyance as she "accidentally" wet him.

"Cinderheart." Jayfeather said, "Could you leave us to talk, please?"

Cinderheart's blue eyes widened with interest, but she dipped her head respectfully to the medicine cat, and turned away, towards the camp.

Stick looked at Jayfeather who had risen and was now making his way along the bank. Sighing she bounded after him.

"I'm guessing you heard what I said." Jayfeather began.

Stick didn't reply and he continued. "I want you to know that, I didn't mean that I didn't want you to come." He held up his tail for silence as Stick started to interrupt.

"I...I kept all those things secret, Rock, the tunnels, the ancients. And...It was hard to tell everyone that me and Lionblaze are from a different time. He doesn't remember. But anyway, I'm sorry. For what I said, can..can you forgive me?"

Stick's brown eyes met Jayfeather's blue ones. "Yes." She said after a while.

"And you won't drown yourself or leave?"

Jayfeather felt Stick hesitate, doubtfully, then she flicked her tail over his back and got up, trotting over the pebbles that lined the banks, turning to look over her shoulder at him she said, "I make no promises."

...

Later that night, Jayfeather opened his eyes, Briarlight was stirring in her nest.

"Briarlight, what's wrong?" He hissed.

"Stick's gone!" She whispered back.

"Gone!" Jayfeather sprang from his nest, and almost tripped over Leafpool who just grunted and went on snoring as usual.

The moonlight shone down on Jayfeather's now seeing eyes. Stick, her brown coat illuminated in the darkness stood in the centre of the hollow. Rock and Fallen Leaves on either side.

"You can't leave yet!" Jayfeather hissed furiously, darting over.

"You know all you need to." Stick replied.

"No! What is going to happen? The prophecy...Your dream?"

"You are always hungry to know more, anxious to rush ahead and find out secrets." Rock said, his sightless eyes glaring intently at Jayfeather.

"But do you rush leaf-bare to get to the warmer season? Do you apprentice kits early to have more warriors?'

Jayfeather shook his head, and Rock carried on, a little more gentley.

"You will know all you need to. This is not the last time we will speak. My friend."

Jayfeather nodded quietly, bowing his head. Fallen Leaves nudged him and said.

"Don't forget to visit!" Jayfeather nodded, cracking a smile...

Then they started fading, Stick lasting the longest, whispering "Don't forget."

"Jayfeather?" Bumblestripe, who was guarding the entrance craned his neck to see the grey cat.

"Is everything okay?" He hadn't seen it. Only Jayfeather.

"Yes, Bumblestripe. Jayfeather answered, before padding back to his nest.

Briarlight was staring outside, her eyes wide. "You saw that right?" She asked.

Jayfeather blinked in surprise, then nodded,

"I knew she didn't seem...quiet, here... Do you know what I mean?"

Jayfeather sighed. "Yes Briarlight, I know."

He settled back to sleep, but Stick's prophecy echoed in his ears.

" _A darkness is coming. You will not be safe for long. The Great battle was not the end. It is barely the beginning. Your clans will face hardships no one will expect. And you will need to be strong to survive it."_

 _LINE BREAK LINE BREAK LINE BREAK LINE BREAK LINE BREAK LINE BREAK LINE BREAK_

The brown she-cat opened her eyes. Her collar jingled as she sat up, looking around. They were still in the monster, a giant trailer behind, piled high with the twoleg's things.

Her twoleg kit was snoring quietly, and the kittypet manovered herself around on it's lap so that she was looking outside, there!

She saw a giant lake, and large hills, dark evergreen forests, and lush dicideos trees, barren moorlands and wet swamps. Why was it so familiar

The twoleg kit woke, and patted her brown kitten, who purred, curling up again.

It hadn't been a dream? She thought. Surely it was real.

Or memories from the past.

 **. . .**


End file.
